Darlington Farmers Auction Mart held their fortnightly sale of rearing calves alongside their weekly sale of cast cattle, store and breeding stock on Monday 9th September 2024. Forward were 255 cattle, 70 calves, 1795 sheep and 4 pigs.
73 Cast Cows/OTM sold to 274ppk or £2002
3 Stock Bulls sold to 252ppk or £1878
19 Breeding Cattle sold to £1920
22 Young Bulls sold to £1605
73 Store Heifers sold to £1645
65 Store Steers sold to £1625
51 Breeding sheep sold to £285
1387 Store Lambs sold to £139
357 Feeding Ewes sold to £138
70 Rearing Calves sold to £660
4 Store Pigs sold to £50
Cast Cattle – Cow trade continues in flying form, this week the all in sale average returned at 183ppk and £1167 per head. The best beef bred beast sold tremendously well with the top twenty all reaching the two hundreds; top of the pile was a fabulous 46-month-old Limousin cow from A C Simpson & Son, McNeil Farm, Witton-le-Wear which sold for 274ppk and an impressive £2002. Leading the natives this week was a smart OTM Aberdeen Angus from E A & N Thompson & Son, Bromley Green, Ormside which saw the hammer knocked down at 268ppk and £1798. Pick of the dairy cows were Holstein Friesian’s from R & W Todd, High Toft Hill selling to highs of 178ppk and £1262 whilst the best of the bulls proved to be a British Blonde from J & C Barker, Greylands Farm, Hinderwell at 252ppk and £1816.
Cast Cows – Top prices ppk 274 220 212 AC Simpson & Son. 256 184×2 RI Jones. 236 226 218 194 GC&KJ White & Son. 232 208 202 188 Taylor Bros. 222 S&J Dent & Son. 212 HS Hutchinson. 210 JK Metcalf. 206 TT Hall & Son. 200 194 192 190 184 182×2 W Chrystal & Partners. 194 184 RN Foord & Son. 194 190 Allison Devereux Farms. 194 F Hare & Son. 192 F Ward. 190 186 J Curry.
Lead Grossing Cast Cows £2002 £1738 £1518 AC Simpson & Son. £1682 £1422 £1270 Taylor Bros. £1661 £1297 RI Jones. £1659 JK Metcalf. £1630 £1620 £1483 £1426 £1293 W Chrystal & Partners. £1594 HS Hutchinson. £1427 £1383 GC&KJ White & Son. £1342 Allison Devereux Farms. £1338 F Ward. £1332 £1323 RN Foord & Son. £1306 PM Beveridge. £1300 S&J Dent & Son. £1274 £1153 J Curry.
Cast Bulls – Top prices ppk 252 J&C Barker. 240 Tallentire. 212 GC&KJ White & Son.
Lead Grossing Cast Bulls £1878 GC&KJ White & Son. £1816 J&C Barker. £1382 Tallentire.
OTM – Top prices ppk 268 EA&N Thompson & Son.
Lead Grossing OTM £1798 EA&N Thompson & Son.
Store & Breeding Cattle – A scattering of cows and calves kicked off proceedings and sold nicely to top at £1920 for an 8-year-old British Blue with a bull calf at foot from I Newton & Son, Gibbet Hill Farm, Howden-le-Wear. The store trade remains excellent, a very weathered show forward today as Autumn is seemingly upon us, all classes away nicely and a lack of high-end goods possibly forced the poshest end even dearer on the week. Topping the day at £1645 was a smart Limousin heifer from Messrs Grix, Morpeth; a fine pair of Limousin steers from I Oliver, Crook followed at £1625 just ahead of a smart steer from C Bell, Forest-in-Teesdale at £1615. Aberdeen Angus showed the way in the native breeds this week, best of all were a trio of strong heifers from regular selling D R Smith, Ferryhill which sold for £1575. Earlier in the sale another vibrant trade was witnessed for young bulls with Limousin to £1605, Aberdeen Angus to £1355, Hereford to £1225 and Friesian to £1145.
Cows & Calves £1920 £1840 £1600 £1450 I Newton & Son. £1180 £1160×3 £1140T Ripley & T Ramesar.
Store Bulls £1605 Grix. £1355 £1075 £1055 JV Hodgson & Son. £1225 £1055×3 JJ Kemp & Son. £1155 £1145 £1005×2 £995 £985×2 £975 £965×2 JK Gregory. £890×2 AP Taylor. £890 HS Hutchinson.
Store Steers £1625×2 I Oliver. £1615 £1400 £1165 C Bell. £1565 DR Smith. £1385×3 BH&S Hodgson. £1375 £1265 £1255 £1245 £1175 JG Forster & Partners. £1365 A Hughes. £1335 £1185 Beckwith. £1295 K Sayer. £1295×2 RG Swinbank. £1295 G Beadle. £1275 £1235 £1195 £1135 RN Foord & Son. £1255 G Bolton. £1255 £1245 £1212 M Gallon. £1095 K Sayer. £1075 TT Hall & Son.
Store Heifers £1645 Grix. £1575×3 £1395×2 DR Smith. £1575 £1265×2 £1195×2 £1115 J Davis. £1565 £1535 £1515 I Oliver. £1545 £1385 £1255 BH&S Hodgson. £1275 G Beadle. £1255 £1045 RN Foord & Son. £1255 TT Hall & Son. £1245×2 £1235 £1105 £1095×3 Wilkinson & Son. £1205 £1195 £1145×2 £1025 R Arthur. £1075 K Sayer. £1035 £1015×4 JT Forster & Son.
Store & Breeding Sheep – A handful of breeders expressed the clear confidence which is oozing through the sheep industry of late and duly topped at £285 for a shapely Dutch Spotted shearling ewe from D & M Buck, Quarry Grange. Gimmer lambs topped at £205 from C Cumming, Glebe Farm.
The accelerator has just come off the store lamb trade a touch, a poorer show on the whole saw the average drop £6 per head to £93.99, in real terms they are probably down £3-£4 on last week’s prices. Texel’s topped the day when a quintet of thumping lambs from J W & B Firby, Manor Farm, Brafferton sold for £139; a super pair from B Cave, Whitehall Farm followed closely at £138 ahead of trios from R & F Longstaff, Bail Hill View £130 and D Johnson, Hill End Farm £127. An increased entry of feeding ewes was perhaps a touch easier as is often the case in September, no disasters however with the better continentals still comfortably over £100, feeding Mule ewes £60-£90 and healthy horned ewes £40 to £60.
Texel – £139 £125 £115 £112 £106 JW&B Firby. £138 £125 £119 B Cave. £127 £118 £117 £112 £111 £102.50 D Johnson. £123 RB Watson. £122 M Hogg. £121 £120 £111 G Williamson. £117 £107 WB Rutter & Sons. £110 £108 JR&J Crowe. £109 BR&S Fell. £107 GH&RG Stobbs. £101 M&G Hodgson. £100 JD Heavisides. £98×2 D Smith. £98 JW&KS Bainbridge. £97 M Radford.
Continental – £130 R&F Longstaff. £111 TE Dobson. £109 £105 B Cave. £106 S Teasdale. £105 £102 A Kelley. £99 K Cator. £98 HM&JS Hutchinson.
Beltex – £119 £111 W&V Bryson. £112 JL Alderson. £110 M Radford.
Charollais £118 M Radford.
Suffolk – £102 £100 GW Dobson & Son.
Suffolk – £114 T&C Smith. £113 JW&B Firby.
Mule – £99 D Alderson. £96 £82 P Turnbull. £84 K Sayer. £83.50 G H & R G Stobbs. £79.50 S Straughan.
Cheviot – £86 L Bird. £74 K Sayer.
Swaledale – £45 G A & J Allison. £31 K Sayer.
Feeding Ewes:
Texel – £138 £114×2 £90 JD Brannen. £138 £110 £88 G I’Anson. £128 £102 FR&AL Lyth. £118 M Hogg. £112 WB Rutter & Sons.
Beltex – £125 W&V Bryson. £118 BR&S Fell.
Continental – £120 C&E Smith. £112 M&G Hodgson. £111 £78C Harle & Sons. £96 CE Smith. £90 JD Brannen. £82 S Beeforth. £81 K Wilkinson. £81 £65 Gray.
Blue Face Leicester £96 R&F Longstaff. £69 JJM Lonsdale.
Mule £91 K Sayer. £90 G I’anson. £90 £85 £64 FR&AL Lyth. £66 R Simpson & Sons. £56 JJM Lonsdale.
Swale – £58 JJM Lonsdale. £56 D Alderson. £56 P Turnbull. £56 RL Carter.
Breeding Sheep:
Shearlings – Dutch Spotted Texel £285 200 D&M Buck.
Mule – £205×2 D&M Buck. £200 JR Mann.
Continental – £180 JR Mann.
Gimmer Lambs – Dutch Spotted Texel £210 C Cumming.
Blue Texel – £205 C Cumming.
Rearing Calves – Unable to emulate the ferocious trade we witnessed a fortnight ago however still very respectable for a largely plainer offering. Top of the tree were two fabulous 4-month-old British Blue bull stirks from H & K Farms, Bedale when they sold for £660, others from the same home followed at £600 and £585, the same firm also sold Aberdeen Angus bulls to £550 and £500. An impressive Inra 95 bull stirk from Kitchings of Summerfield looked well sold at £615 whereas baby calves still on milk were topped by British Blue’s from Wilkinson & Son, Carrsides Farm at £585 (bulls) and £580 (heifers).
Bull Calves:
British Blue £660×2 £600×6 £585×6 H Chapman. £585 £540 £535 £520 £510 Wilkinson & Son. £480 £470 £395 JB&LM Knight. £465 £410 G Thompson & Sons. £420 £360 £345 £340 Miresdale Dairy Holding Ltd. £310 £300×2 RW Raper & Sons.
Inra £615 £420 £400 £370 Kitchings of Summerfield.
Angus £550×3 £500×6 H Chapman. £470×2 £430 £425 £400 £390 G Thompson & Sons.
Limousin £350 RW Raper & Sons.
Friesian £305 £270 G Thompson & Sons.
Heifer Calves:
British Blue £580 £500 £485 Wilkinson & Son. £410×2 £405 £340 £330 Miresdale Dairy Holding Ltd. £330 £300 £290 RW Raper & Sons.
Inra £400 Kitchings of Summerfield.
Angus £395 G Thompson & Sons. £310 K Thompson.
Limousin £380 JB&LM Knight.
